This invention relates generally to anti-snoring devices and, more particularly, to a mouthpiece for insertion into a person's mouth having a tongue depressor that suppresses or prevents the person's tongue from impeding his airway and, as a result, reducing or eliminating snoring and obstructive apnea.
Snoring is often perceived merely as “noisy breathing” when sleeping. Snoring happens when you can't move air freely through your nose and throat during sleep. However, snoring may actually be much more of a health concern, such as heart disease or another breathing dysfunction. About one-half of people who snore loudly have obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. Persons with sleep apnea often wear a CPAP mask for years to prevent the negative effects of sleep apnea, including possible death. Prevention of obstructive snoring, then, is of prime interest to persons with dangerous snoring and sleep apnea.
Various devices have been proposed for decreasing or preventing snoring. Although presumably effective for their intended purposes, there is still a need for a lightweight and simple solution for preventing a person's tongue from obstructing the person's airway and allowing snoring to occur.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a mouth guard for insertion into a mouth of a user for decreasing snoring and the effects of sleep apnea. Further, it would be desirable to have a mouth guard for insertion into a mouth of a snorer having a tongue depressor portion that is adjustable vertically, longitudinally, and angularly.